Challenges are a part of life.  And we’re living in an unprecedented challenge right now during this global pandemic.  But we can experience this unique challenge as an opportunity (stay with me on this…)

The single thing that I’ve found most powerful is to start with your mindset.  Sure, on many days I think, “this sucks!”  But I’ve also experienced and believe that every challenge, every form of adversity, happens for you, not to you.

So, the mindset – and the access to learning – is knowing one simple truth:  Everything that is or will be is up to you.   It’s so easy to blame other people or circumstances for our unhappiness.  But by doing that, we actually make ourselves powerless to change anything.

Instead, as I’ve learned, we are each completely responsible – for our own experiences, actions, and reactions.  This was a sobering, yet powerful, realization.  When you take responsibility for your situation, you’re likely to immediately feel lighter, like a heavy weight has been lifted.

In the inspirational words of Eleanor Roosevelt:

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. 
The process never ends until we die.
And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.

So, now, I know I can choose to feel grateful for specific things each day.  For example, grateful that my daughter is home from college and I can once again experience those little moments with her I took for granted yet missed so much when she was gone.  And grateful for daily family dinners.  Each day, I come up with three or so things I’m grateful for.  No matter how small it might seem.  Just feeling grateful changes my mindset immediately.

Knowing that we are completely responsible for our own experiences and choosing gratitude can go a long way to getting us through this challenging time – and we will get through it!

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